ound and faced him. The observation had struck home. He
realized how poignantly Dick must have endured the loss of Echo and
thought of his betrayal by Jack. As he had suffered mentally so Dick
must be suffering in the desert. In self-justification he returned to
his old argument.

"I waited until I was sure he was dead. Six months I waited after we
heard the news. After I had told Echo I loved her and found that I was
loved in return--then came this letter. God! What a fight I had with
myself when I found that he lived--was thinking of returning home to
claim her for his own. I rode out into the hills and fought it out all
alone, like an Indian--then I resolved to hurry the wedding--to lie to
her--and I have been living that lie every minute, every hour."

Jack leaned heavily on the table. His head sank. His voice dropped
almost to a whisper.

Allen slapped him on the back to cheer him up. Philosophically he
announced: "Well, it's got to be as it is. You'll mebbe never hear
from him again. You mustn't never tell her. I ain't a-goin' to say
nothin' about it--her happiness means everything to me."

Jack grasped his hand in silent thankfulness.

The two men walked slowly out of the room to the corral.

As Echo galloped across the prairie in the glorious morning air, the
sunshine, the lowing of the cattle on the hills, and the songs of the
birds in the trees along the Sweetwater had banished all depressing
thoughts, and her mind dwelt on her love for Jack and the pleasantness
of the lines in which her life had fallen.

Only one small cloud had appeared on the horizon. Jack had not shared
with her his confidences in the business of the ranch. He told her he
did not want to worry her with such cares. True, there were times when
he was deeply abstracted; but in her presence his moroseness vanished
quickly. Carefully as he had tried to hide his secret, she had, with a
woman's intuition, seen beneath the surface of things and realized that
something was lacking to complete her happiness.

As Echo turned toward home a song sprang to her lips. Polly spied her
far down the trail.

"Boys, she's coming," she shouted to the men, who were at the
bunk-house awaiting Mrs. Payson's return. As they passed the corral
they called to Jack and Allen to join them in the living-room to
prepare for the surprise for Echo.

The party quickly reassembled.

"Good land!" shouted Allen, "get something to cover the piann